Stay with Me by Awesomekristii (jenna bush book club .TXT) 📖

DELILAH 

Winters were beautiful and so do Christmases when you had good memories associated with them. I don’t remember when I had experienced so but it was still better than nothing five years ago. Some events forever stay in your mind and however much you try you couldn’t forget them or wipe them away into a clean slate, and more when the events were repetitive. My mind always travelled back to them and I didn’t know what to do about them.

It's been ten days since I came here to live and a week since I returned from the doctor’s appointment. I have met with Damien occasionally since most of the time either he was in his office or if in the house still in his office room. He must really like working. And in this one week, my leg has become a lot better and my days here were coming to an end.

I feel bad sometimes thinking I have to leave because I have formed great bonding with Liliana somewhere or the other in these ten days. She was such a sweet soul that you can’t but become attached to her. I have also been planning what to do after leaving here. I have fortunately escaped from hell but surviving was another battle in itself.

My thoughts got interrupted when Liliana called for me. “Honey, are you alright? I was calling you for some time.’’

“I’m so sorry, Lil. I didn’t notice,” I apologized for being such a trance when she swatted her hands in the air.

“it’s all right, dear’’ She dried the dishes while I sat on the tool.

She was so hardworking.

“I was asking if you would want me to cut you some apples or strawberries,’’ I smiled at her shaking my head, “You don’t have to, I’m okay and you’re already having so much to do.”

She laughed lightly setting the dishes back in their places. “I’m used to this. I have been here for three decades now.”

“you must be close to him?” I slide down from my tool and luckily I didn’t need the crutches anymore.

“I was here when he wasn’t even born. I was his nanny, and then I took the job as the housekeeper.” I smiled at her words, humming.

“Can I ask you something?” I grabbed a juice from the fridge and returned. The brace was really helping me a lot.

She turned around, keeping the last plate and nodded. “Of course, sweetie.”

I didn’t know how to ask her. Would it be too personal for him, but I couldn’t seem to feed my curiosity well, and I also know Damien would never ever talk with me about this.

I handed the juice can to Liliana and saw her era widening a little. “You don’t have to do that, honey.”

“But I want you. You need one. Affirmatively.” She sighed smiling a little as I handed her the can. She was quick enough to open it and gulp down in one go. “What do you wanted to ask me?”

I fidgeted with my fingers not knowing how to say this. “Where Is Damien's family?”

I saw her smile drop at my words and I instantly regretted my words. I was a nobody to ask that.

“You don’t have to answer that…” She shook her head and kept the empty can on the counter.

“It's okay, dear. I couldn’t tell you everything since it isn’t my story to say but he has no one now except for grandmother.” My heart tugged listening to her words. I know how does it feel to be have no one, but still listening to it from her about Damien, intensified the sadness I felt.

I didn’t know what to answer to her, when she added. “You haven’t got a tour of the house. Let me give you one.” In this ten days, my legs were not capable to walk around this entire mansion. It’s huge and wide I couldn’t even remember half of the time where is my room. The staircase confuses the hell out of me.

I gave her a nod. “Sure, but you should also hand me some of your tasks. I’m getting bored sitting idle.” She laughed lightly.

“No dear. You aren’t well till now to do any chores.”

“But-“ she shook her head.

“No means no.” She gave me a playful wink. “You must know by now that even Damien can’t deny me.”

Well she wasn’t wrong. I chuckled nodding. “I can’t disagree.”

••••••••

The entire house tour was like an expedition in itself. I felt like being in the wilderness and looking for ways out from there. The mansion was too big, and I couldn’t even reckon how many rooms there must be present. And for being this huge I couldn’t complete the entire ride and with my healing feet I had to cut my tour short.

However when I crossed the library, I found myself wanting to spend some time there. Liliana was quicker than light to agree and made me sit on the couch present here. And now I was sitting here with a book in my hands.

The Alchemist.

I have never really read books. It’s always the torn or the tattered one with half of the pages missing, or they will be too old and yellowish to even make out the words. Most weren’t even story books, and just random things. Some I had collected as second hands and those few are the only ones I have ever read.

And by reading that I just fell in love with words and the writings and found myself enjoying reading. Alas! Everything comes to an end and it did too. The one I used to get the second hand books, got transferred to another place and I was again left behind in the chaos and havoc, having my only haven to be snatched away.

My eyes ran over the words and I found the same old feeling of rejoicing and celebrating infiltrating in me. I smiled lightly, making my body a little more crouched and tucked the book under the blanket, keeping enough space to let the light fall on them.

The chilly evening has left such a coldness in the place that Liliana brought me a blanket and I was so relieved to get that, I even gave her a hug. It was the first time I ever did that.

I had never hugged anyone.

She laughed at my action and when I asked her to accompany me she denied saying she has so many chores to complete. She works so hard. I even asked her why she didn’t ask Damien to get another maid or her helper. She was quick to say she hate unknown people in her kitchen. And then she added, I feel like a family to her to ever deny me to enter the kitchen. That made my heart warm so much.